In the End
by the pick-it fence
Summary: Living in a world without color, and the blood of the kingdom's only hero, Luigi must avoid society as much as possible. With Mario gone, everyone forces Luigi to become the next hero, but he knows he can't live up to such standards. However, with faith, hope, and a few helping hands, he could at least try.
1. Chapter 1

**Dedicated to:**

**My friends, family, and rivals. Without you, life wouldn't be fun. **

**Warning: Cussing, adult themes, violence, and magic**

* * *

**~In the End~**

**Chapter 1 - Superstitions**

It was a peaceful night. The chilled breeze of spring hit the park in small gusts. No one was in the park at this time, which was just fine. Luigi didn't need everyone watching and he especially didn't want the media to hear about this either. Just thinking about the headlines scared him: _Love at First Sight? _Or _The Princess and the Plumber! _Or _W__hat was he thinking? _Or worse…_IT FINALLY HAPPENED!_

Yes, others had been prodding at the couple to finally "take it to the next level" but Luigi never took things too fast. Even with others pushing him figuratively, or physically, he never "took it to the next level." It was best if Daisy got to know him, even if he was quite the opposite of her. She never really cared for his weak abilities or that he was almost nothing like his brother, but she did care for him and that was what made their relationship blossom. They've been dating for almost a year, but Luigi never made any subtle hints to anything big in the near future. Then again, Luigi wasn't exactly the king of subtlety. Maybe it was because he was different. Maybe it was because he was kind and caring and loving and modest and sympathetic and…Oh, Daisy could go on forever with that list, but that was beside the point. Luigi had stopped her by the lake, without giving her the slightest reason why.

"What?" Daisy asked calmly.

Luigi gulped. It wasn't the right time and Luigi was extremely superstitious. It was 10:13 and if he did this now then bad luck would spread through their relationship and eventually make them separate. He had to ask on a round number, like 20 or 30 or 40 or tomorrow. "N-nothing."

"Well you stopped me for a reason," Daisy argued, "I'd like to know what that reason is."

"It's nothing…t-trust me." Luigi put his hand back in his pocket, hiding the black box from view.

Daisy peered around him, watching his hands shift in his pockets. "I hope so." She mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, sweetie."

She sighed and stared at the moon reflecting off the lake's waters. It was always a beautiful sight to see. Luigi inched himself closer to her then outstretched his arm around her shoulder, on high alert of Daisy's every movement. She allowed him to do so and rested her head on his chest. He kept his other hand safe in his pocket. Daisy's mind wandered as she thought about what he could be hiding in there. Not bothering to think too hard about it, she moved her hand slowly down from his back to his waist. Luigi's eyes widened and he looked over to her hand dangerously close to his. Without thinking, Luigi moved away from her. Daisy looked at him, acting bewildered. "Is something wrong?" She tried to act innocent, playful, and confused, all at once. Daisy was such a good actor, but Luigi knew what she aimed to do.

Luigi swallowed, trying to stall for time to think of a response. "I saw…I saw a flower. I-It was over there…a-and I thought that…that you would like it."

"A flower?" Daisy repeated.

"Y-yes."

Daisy nodded and let him run deeper into the park. She pondered his sudden nervousness, but what was the reason? He was Luigi; he was always nervous. She giggled at her little thought and turned away from his fading physique.

Luigi was a horrible liar. Mario could lie and get away with it, but Luigi never mastered that particular technique, for he never thought he would need to. Utterly surprised by Daisy's response, he dashed into the park to think. She of all people could always tell when Luigi was lying, so how did she not notice it this time? Had she known? Does she still know? What will she say once Luigi returns? Luigi cleared his mind of these thoughts and simply assumed that she knew nothing of his plan. It was 10:18, which still wasn't the right time. He sighed and looked around for a flower. Nothing but freshly cut grass surrounded him. Luigi looked back at Daisy's outline by the lake. The moon made her look so beautiful…no, breathtaking.

He turned back around and took a deep breath. Superstition or not, this was what he was going to do. He clenched his fist and ran back towards her. "Daisy!" He called. She turned back around, tilting her head at him. In such a rush, Luigi failed to notice a rock protruding from the ground. With that being said, we can all guess what happened next.

Daisy gasped. "Sweetie, are you hurt?" She tried her best not to giggle. Even though she was scared for his well-being, she thought the whole ordeal was still worth a laugh.

Luigi ducked his head. He knelt down, inches away from the lake. _Idiot! _He scolded himself. Daisy put out her hand to help him up and all with a smile on her face. He felt inside his pocket and noticed that the small box was missing. He looked around him, feeling the grass. Luckily, it was right beside him. He snatched it quickly and took her hand. Looking at his watch, he noticed it was 10:20, but there was no way that he would do this now. Daisy looked at his clenched fist with suspicion. "What's that?" She blurted out the question, although she didn't originally intend to.

Luigi sighed and threw caution to the wind. He rose, but was still down on one knee. He held Daisy's hand tightly and she felt her heart pace rapidly. He flipped open the box, but was unable to speak. His nerves got the best of him, but he still tried to talk. "Dais…Daisy…w-w-will…"

She began to laugh and cry at the same time and before he knew it, Luigi was laughing too. She knelt before him and took the ring. He slipped the ring on her left ring finger. "Yes…I will." She hugged him and they both laughed. Luigi looked at his watch once more.

10:21 p.m.

Perfect timing.

* * *

**Give it up for the beginning of the end! *claps like a retarded seal* **

**That's right everyone, this will be the end! Well, In the End, to be exact. This is what happens when a one-shot of mine becomes an full-length story! The original one-shot might be posted at the end of this story, but, meh, I dunno. **

**So, the beginning of this story is pretty happy, sappy, lovey, dovey, stuff but if you know me well, you know that this won't last. Even with almost all my stories having romance and humor, this will (MOST LIKELY) have little romance and no humor. Well, some if I manage to put it in. If there's no humor, I'll go all-out on the author's notes. But, enjoy the happiness while it lasts, people. I'm thinking that this will be one of those "this should be on Showtime!" stories, but we'll see. Expect cliffhangers, too. I love me them cliffhangers. X3**

**AND ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL! **

**Okay, it's not like that. (Lord of The Rings!)**

**To anyone who started singing that Stevie Wonder song - Superstitious : I was totally going for that. **

**Welp, that's about it. Let's see how this story will go. :)**

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything, and I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - When the comet comes down**

The next day brought about much talk of two humans, a man and a woman, conversing in the park. The Toads kept this news to themselves for the moment, but the next step to tell the media was not far ahead. Some thought about what the humans could have talked about, while others wondered who these people could have possibly been and who would have found out. After the moon rises in the dark sky, no one dares to step outside, so these people must have obviously had something important to do, or else they wouldn't have been there. No one truly knew who these people were, keeping the kingdom in suspense. However, one person knew exactly who these people were and what they were doing. With the power to see all and know all, the Queen of the Cosmos lived up to her title. Controlling most of the cosmos along with the power to watch over the world below was not at all an easy task, but Rosalina was able to make it seem simple. Being good friends with Princess Peach, Rosalina talked to her often and shared the news of incoming attacks from Bowser and other enemies. Being very grateful, the princess allowed Rosalina to come over at any time, but she kindly refused, admitting that her work in the cosmos occupied most of her time, if not all of it.

Upon hearing the news of the two mystery people in the park just the other night, Princess Peach quickly rushed to her quarters, anxious to talk with the cosmic queen. She was given a jewel, a sapphire that could attach to the princess' dress as a way to keep in contact with Rosalina. Peach had kept this a secret for quite some time, unsure if she could even trust her friends with this power. Without hesitation, Peach set the jewel down and requested to talk to Rosalina.

Rosalina tapped her wand on a small orb by the beacon. A clear, yet transparent image of Princess Peach came through. Rosalina smiled. "Greetings, Princess Toadstool. Another day of gossip, I'm guessing?"

"Oh, yes." The princess was giddy and overwhelmed with excitement. "It's extremely interesting as well. Two people, a man and a woman, seen together in the dark of the night. All wonder who they could possibly be and what they were doing." She tapped her bottom lip, "Any ideas?"

Rosalina laughed. "I'm afraid the two would want you to find out later."

"Please, dear friend."

"In due time, Toadstool. Don't excite yourself."

Peach winced, trying to calm herself down. "I know." She looked back at Rosalina. "Does anyone know...?"

"About what, your highness?"

Giving a simple glare, Rosalina knew exactly what Peach meant. "Ah, yes…that. No, no one knows. Do not fret, princess. Your secret is safe with me. Is all well?"

"A few pains here and there, but I'd go through all the pain in the world."

"Be careful what you wish for, dearest."

"I am not wishing, Rosalina. I am simply stating it as it is. This is a serious matter and once the kingdom knows, then the law must bend."

"And bend it shall," Rosalina nodded, "But until then, you must remain quiet and speak nothing of it."

"I know."

"But understand."

Peach stared at Rosalina, contemplating her words. She finally nodded, "I understand."

Silence spread through the room and all was still. Peach knew she was carrying a heavy burden, but that didn't matter. This was a matter of bending the laws of the kingdom for one reason, but that reason wouldn't pass for the royals of The Mushroom Kingdom. Of course it wouldn't, but what did that matter? It was done and once Peach admitted the truth, all would happen and the law would finally bend. After thinking about this for a few moments, Peach finally turned back to Rosalina. "Would you mind telling me who those people are now?"

Rosalina smiled but shook her head. "Afraid not. It's a matter of secrecy and if I were to say it before it is meant to be said, then I would be breaking a promise. I have never broken a promise and I never intend to."

"I'm glad you don't…and I'm glad you can keep a secret."

"Your secret is safe, princess, don't worry. I haven't told a soul and I don't intend to do that either. I will see you again, your highness. May the stars shine down upon you."

With that being said, Rosalina's image faded from the jewel at the same time Peach's image faded from the orb.

Rosalina turned back to the library. She sat down in the chair in the center of the room, holding her forehead with her hand. She rarely saw into the future, but when she did, all hell would break loose. She would see battles that have not yet happened or plans about issues that haven't even sprouted or the world falling into chaos. She never knew why she could see such things, but these predictions were always exact. One vision would always return to her and it would always be the same. A vision of an explosion, then the entire Mushroom Kingdom on a rampage to a castle, and then one man-like figure would rise up over the ruble, but only to fall on his knees in pity. The vision would end and it would always leave Rosalina speechless. Her visions would normally be faded so that she couldn't tell who was who or what was what, but what she saw would leave her with enough to think about. There was no possible way to prevent these things from happening, but there was a way to prolong them. Perhaps even long enough to stop it. Rosalina shot up immediately. She walked sternly out of the library and over to the small group of Lumas.

"Lower the power on the beacon," She ordered, "And set a course to The Mushroom Kingdom."

* * *

Kamek and Kamella were at each other's throats again. They argued over the simplest things, such as what to have for breakfast or how much cream one likes in their coffee or what they would say at the other's funeral. "You were a pain in the ass, Kam, but I loved ya anyway." Kamek held up an imaginary champagne glass and acted as if he were drinking from it.

"Don't talk about _me _being a pain in _your _ass! You were the pain in mine!"

"I'm not the one who wanted to keep the kooplings."

"Yes you were!"

"I was not!"

"Was too!"

"I thought they were a mockery!"

"No, I did!"

"Well then we agree on one thing."

"What's that?"

"That they're all idiots!"

The two both shared an evil cackle as Bowser stepped into the throne room. "And what is today's argument?"

"The kooplings." They said in sync.

Bowser nodded and turned back to his plans. Of course the plans were on blueprints, but they still looked as if a 1st grader drew them. There was a cannon with a few lasers on the side and they were pointed at a stick figure with a red cap. The stick figure was poorly drawn, along with everything else, and it looked as if it was having a seizure. Kamek was happy to point out that flaw, but Bowser did not take the joke kindly and struck him in the face.

"It's him, you fool!" Bowser hissed.

"Him as in…_him _him?" Kamella questioned.

"Yes, _him _him!" Now is a good time to mention that _his _name is never to be said in Bowser's castle, unless the servant seriously wants to end their life. "This is my new ground-breaking plan!"

"Is that a…popsicle stick?" Kamella pointed to the poorly drawn cannon.

Bowser held up his hand and prepared to strike Kamella as well, but he didn't want to waste his strength on her. "It's the cannon. I'm going to attach it to the room over on the far side of the castle and make sure that _he _gets in there somehow. After that, I blow him up!"

"Excuse me?"

"I…blow…him…UP!" Bowser began to imitate explosion sounds.

"But…but that doesn't seem effective."

"So?" The Koopa king sighed, "It's the only thing I haven't tried and if it works…oh, if it works…then the world is mine! Along with the darling princess. I'd count her as a bonus, though."

Kamek rubbed his head and groaned. "Blowing people up…?"

"Yeah!"

"That…that doesn't sound effective…"

"Effective or not, I'm doing it!"

Bowser soon ordered the two to start building the cannon, while he would head over to the kingdom to kidnap the princess once again. He grouped up his little army and set out to the kingdom. He kept himself happy, thinking that this would be the final time he would ever have to make this tiresome march.

* * *

On their way to Mushroom Castle for the afternoon, Mario and Luigi walked side by side, both happy for their own reasons. Luigi's happiness was the most obvious out of the two, since he was also horrible at hiding his feelings. He had been smiling all day and gave no reason why. After watching him walk with a skip in his step for at least 30 minutes, Mario stopped him.

"Yes, brother?" Luigi mused.

When was the last time that Luigi ever called Mario "brother"? "What's wrong with you?"

"Whatever do you mean?" He was still smiling.

"What's with all of that?"

"What? I can't be happy on such a wonderful day?"

"You can, but not around me. It scares me."

Luigi chuckled. "Oh, you." He continued to skip his way to the castle.

"Bro, what happened to you?" Mario ran up and shook Luigi by the shoulders, "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH LUIGI?!"

Luigi shrugged. "He's here…" He then giggled and kept walking.

Mario was bewildered by Luigi's sudden change in personality and stopped him once again. "We're going to be late if you stop me again, you know."

"Just tell me why you're skipping around."

Luigi glanced down and pressed his fingers together. "I'm sorry I never told you about this before but…"

He was interrupted by a huge bang that sounded by the castle. Toad ran over to the brothers with the usual worried expression on his face. "MARIO! MARIO! IT'S AWFUL! HOW COULD NO ONE HAVE SEEN THIS COMING?! AHHHHHGGHGHGHGH!"

Mario settled Toad down. Luigi stopped talking and his smile began to fade. "What happened?" Mario asked.

Toad shivered and pointed to the castle. He stammered. "T-t-t-t-the p-p-p-p-princess! S-s-s-s-she…"

Mario nodded. He picked up his pace and began to run to the castle. Luigi sighed, but tagged along, only because Daisy was staying at the castle as well and he worried for her. As he neared the gates of the castle, he noticed that the comet observatory was hovering above. The brothers walked in and saw that the inside of the castle was a wreck. The hall was covered in broken pieces of glass windows, broken doors, and rubble from fallen walls. Servant Toads were doubled over in pain and groaning. Rosalina walked over to the brothers with her wand in her hand. "I could only hold them back for so long." She claimed that she tried to stop the attack from happening, but Bowser's army began to attack her. Her force field wasn't holding up around the castle and once a shot was fired, the shield was broken and the castle was attacked. "The princess is sadly gone already, but I have seen the monster travel to the Dark Lands. I will find him there."

"You?" Mario stepped forward. "I'm afraid that you can't go anywhere. The princess is my responsibility and I'm going to save her."

He began to make his way out of the castle, but Rosalina appeared in front of him. "Mario, you cannot leave. I will find her and bring her back, but I refuse to let you leave."

"I've done this before," He pushed her wand down gently with his finger, "I know the ropes."

Luigi stepped forward next, "I think she's right, Mario. You should listen to her."

Mario glared at his brother. "I'm going to save the princess," He turned back to Rosalina, "And that's that."

She still denied. "It's not safe out there. You do not know what the monster could possibly do."

"I've seen all his plans before, now let me leave." He made his way closer to the door.

Rosalina's eyes flashed white and all the doors slammed closed. "YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS CASTLE! I WILL GO IT ALONE!" She closed her eyes and with one simple flash, she was gone.

Luigi was obviously startled by Rosalina's sudden outburst, but Mario was the least bit amused by her magic. Daisy quickly strode down the broken flight of stairs. She ran up to the brothers. "What happened? The doors just slammed closed! I could've lost my hand!" She rubbed her left hand and held it close to her chest, skimming the smooth ring on her ring finger.

"I'll be back soon." Mario broke the doors down and stormed out of the castle. Rosalina was far ahead of him, but he would eventually catch up.

Daisy looked at Luigi. "Should we go…?"

"No," Luigi shook his head, "Rosalina told us to stay here and that's what we'll do."

But on the inside, Luigi wanted to stay alongside his brother. Without admitting this to Daisy, they both began to clean up the inside of the castle.

* * *

**I don't know why, but I always see Mario as the guy who just doesn't give a *BOOP* and does what he wants. Strange, huh?**

**Anyway, that was chapter 2! Amazing, huh? It's a beauty of 2,000+ words! YAY!...I'm so corny. **

**Wondering what that secret between Peach and Rosalina is about and what it has to do with "bending the law?" Well, you'll have to wait and see! I'm trying to pace myself with this story, since I think that I rushed a bunch on other ones. Oh well, they were still good. Again, this is one of those stories where I think that I nailed it with chapter 2, but we'll see. **

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Another one bites the dust**

Rosalina was still uncertain as to where she was supposed to go. Maybe she should have let Mario come along, but have him on a leash of some sort. As the sky became dark and the air became heavy with smoke, Rosalina held out her wand in front of her. It created a small field of light around her, but she still had a strange sense of fear. Rosalina, scared? The woman hasn't shown much of any emotion, but then again, this part of the world was unfamiliar to her. But fear was a simple emotion and she couldn't allow it to change her reasoning. Keeping the light close to her, Rosalina pressed on through the Dark Lands.

After a few minutes, (which seemed like hours) Rosalina heard a few pebbles slip down the rocks beside her. They looked as if they were forced down, either by accident or on purpose. This meant that she wasn't alone. Quickly coming to this conclusion, Rosalina brightened the light emanating from her wand. "Show yourself and no harm will come to you." The wind whistled, but no one responded. "I am not a threat, I am simply here on rescue."

Nothing.

Giving up, Rosalina walked forward and paid no mind to the sounds around her. This time, a boulder fell inches before her. It made a loud sound as it hit the rocky ground, but Rosalina was not fazed. It was a rock, after all. She disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the boulder. She took a breath and pressed forward. "Tricky one…" A slithery voice hissed quietly. "How do you suppose we get rid of her?"

"Summon more rocks and don't miss!" The second voice commanded. The first one began to summon more boulders, but the second one stopped her. "Watch your crummy-ass aim too, Kamella."

"Shut your pie-hole, Kamek! You'll get us both caught!"

Kamek sighed and walked back towards the castle.

Rosalina felt another presence. About three more presences, both good and evil. Another batch of pebbles fell down from the rocky hills, accompanied by some soft huffing. Rosalina flicked her wand to create a force field. It didn't work. She tried again, but the results remained the same. Her magic was useless in the Dark Lands. She looked up as another boulder was falling down towards her. She gasped, motionless. She felt naked without her power and now she was about to meet with fate. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for impact.

"MOVE!"

"AAHH!"

_BAM!_

Blinking to clear her eyes from rubble, Rosalina saw deep into the eyes of Mario, who had pinned her down. "Watch yourself." He released his grip on her wrists and sat away from her.

She dusted herself off and glared at him. "I told you to stay in the castle!"

"And I told you that I was going to save the princess!"

"You are going back now!" She put her hand out in front of her and her eyes turned white momentarily. Then she fell to her knees, weak and powerless. "Ugh…"

Mario walked over to her. "What happened?" He put out his hand and she meekly took it. She stood up, towering over him.

"My powers are useless here. There is too much evil and it works against me. We'll have to use brute force and our wits."

He clenched his fists. "Whatever it takes."

They made their way through the rocky surface of the lands. The two magi-koopas hissed and teleported back to Bowser's castle.

"Two of them are on their way, sir." A guard reported. "A tall woman and _him_."

Bowser laughed. "Just another trophy, I guess."

Peach grabbed the bars of the cadge and rattled them furiously. "YOU MONSTER! YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

"But I already have." Bowser laughed once more.

Mario climbed to the top of a steep, rocky mountain to get a better look of the castle. A small flash of pink was visible. He called Rosalina over. She looked around carefully. "Be careful."

He nodded and slid down the mountain, quickly rushing over to the pink flash he had seen. A shrill scream was heard, only making him anxious.

Rosalina closed her eyes to prevent a headache. As she did so, the vision ran through her mind once again. This time, it only showed the explosion, but the area around it was clear now. It looked familiar in a sense, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She opened her eyes again and everything was suddenly clear. "Mario!"

But he couldn't hear her.

"Mario, wait!"

He kept running to the small fortress behind the castle.

As she was running down the mountain, she slipped and began to tumble. She landed on the very slope, but felt a stinging sensation around her knee and arm. She looked at her arm, shocked by what she saw. Blood. With her powers faded, she was practically a human now. She felt worthless for a few moments, but quickly got up. She would have the chance to sulk later. Rosalina picked up her pace and tried to make her way towards Mario.

Opening the door to the fortress, Mario was hit with the strong smell of gunpowder. Rosalina called out for him once more, but he was entranced by the pink dress that lay before him. He walked in and the door slammed shut by an unseen force. "NO!" Rosalina stopped in her tracks and looked around for a way to break down the doors.

"Peach…?" Mario walked closer. A soft sound of crying echoed through the room.

Bowser was a safe distance away from the fortress and he was still telling all his servants to do something. Kamek and Kamella walked into the room. "YOU TWO," Bowser pointed at the lever, "GET THE LEVER!"

Kamek pushed Kamella out of the way and ran over to the lever. It had three settings: Off, On, and Max. It was currently of the "Off" setting and Bowser would signal for when his wanted the lever to be pulled. "Now remember," He pressed a button, "Just turn it on and leave it at that setting. Don't get too cocky with the power there."

"Why not?" Kamella asked.

"Because, if he dies then there won't be a point! Have you seen the other villains that don't have heroes? They go crazy and make heroes of their own! There is no way that I am ever going to create some sort of clone like _him_. Just rough him up with the whole explosion, but DON'T kill him. I want him to see my wedding and laugh in his face."

Kamek and Kamella stared at each other for a moment, but returned to the lever.

A wind-up toy walked past Mario. He picked up the dress, only to realize that it was nothing but cloth. The toy stopped next to him and opened its mouth. A small camera lit up and Bowser's lair was on screen. Bowser stepped into the picture with a smug look on his face. "Surprise, surprise! Looking for this?" He picked up the princess and shook her like a rattle.

"Put her down!" Mario hissed.

Bowser did as he was told and glared at his rival. "Well, old friend, if you haven't noticed, you've fallen right into my trap."

"LET HIM GO!" Peach cried.

"Of course, that is, if he can stand the awesome POWER of my death cannon!" Bowser pointed off-screen and grinned. "FIRE!"

Nothing.

Bowser sighed and rolled his eyes. He walked over to Kamek and Kamella. "Fire?"

They were tackling each other to the ground. "GET OFF ME JERK-WAD!"

"SHUT UP, SLUT!"

"AGH!"

"UGH!"

Bowser growled and pushed them apart.

Mario tried to bash down the doors of the fortress. They were solid metal and he recoiled in pain.

Rosalina tried to summon her powers back to her. Her eyes flashed white for a few moments, but she began to feel weak. She tried again.

Peach tried to escape the castle, but guards surrounded the lair. She was surrounded.

"JUST PULL THE LEVER!" Bowser roared.

Kamek pulled the lever to "On".

Bowser made his way back to the camera.

"You didn't pull it right, asshole!" Kamella hissed. She pulled the lever with her eyes closed and it was now on "Max". "Wait a second…"

"Push it back!" Kamek tried to reverse her actions. The lever broke under all that force. "Shit…"

The fortress began to rumble. Mario backed up against the wall. Lasers shifted to his location and lit up. He took one last breath and closed his eyes.

Rosalina was slowly fading to his location. She tried to concentrate, but something began rumbling. She fell back over the force of the world crumbling beneath her. With a squeal, she landed back before the rocks, penetrating her back and scraping her skin.

Bowser looked outside at the ruins of the fortress. He almost hoped that he would see someone getting up, but there was nothing but smoldering foundation left. He glared at Kamek and Kamella. "What did I tell you, idiots? Not to kill him. And what did you do?"

"W-w-w-we…" They stammered over fear.

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

Peach shot up and pushed all the guards out of her way. "WHAT?!"

Bowser held both Kamek and Kamella up by their throats. They were both gasping for air as their necks molded into Bowser's grip. Peach looked outside and gasped. She stepped back, shaking her head. This couldn't be possible. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be true. She looked back at Bowser. He tossed the magi-koopas down to the floor and let them beg for mercy. Bowser walked towards Peach, but was stopped by a tall woman who suddenly appeared. She took the princess and they both were gone in a simple flash.

* * *

"We must rest here." Rosalina let go of Peach's wrist and let her drop down to the grass. Rosalina managed to concentrate long enough to get them out of the Dark Lands, but they still had miles to go to get back to the kingdom. Rosalina held her forearm to try to wipe some blood dripping down. Gently pushing her fingers on the gash, it lit up and was quickly healed. Her powers were slowly returning.

Peach huddled in a ball fashion. She hadn't said a word for the entire journey, which only made Rosalina ask the question if she was alright. Peach simply blinked, hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare, but this was not so. "I…I…I can't…I can't believe it…"

"Neither can I, but we must keep pressing forward."

Peach shot up. "Pressing forward? I don't think you know what this means to me! He's still back there, alone, without us, and you want to press forward? Do you even care for him, Rosalina?"

"Back there…? Princess Toadstool, Mario is…"

"DO YOU?"

Rosalina recoiled. "Your highness…"

Peach scoffed and kept walking towards her kingdom. "I'm going to get a whole army and I'm going back there to find him. BY MYSELF!"

Rosalina was shocked by Peach's sudden outburst, but she walked beside her. They slowly walked back to the kingdom without another word.

* * *

The inside of the castle was finally cleaned. A few walls were still knocked down, but Rosalina would take care of that. Once the servants returned to their normal routine, Luigi and Daisy sat outside, waiting for the group to return.

"Have you told him about it?" Daisy asked.

"About what?" Luigi kept his eyes locked on the vast world ahead.

Daisy lifted her left hand and twiddled her fingers. He smiled, but shook his head. "Not yet. Did you tell Peach?"

"Nope." She put her hand on his. "I'll tell her when she gets back."

"I think I'll tell him when he gets back, too."

She held his hand and looked into his eyes. "We can tell them together." They both smiled. After a few moments, their smiles faded and they leaned into each other. Their lips collided with passion at first, but then the passion turned into lust. Daisy kissed him forcefully, itching to taste more. She gently pushed him down, letting his back rest on the grass. Luigi let her do this, even though he was conscious that anyone could be watching. Once her hands were at the hem of his shirt, he stopped her, hoping that she knew he was only teasing her in the end. She let go of him and glared playfully. The castle gates began to open and Luigi stood up.

Daisy shot up. "They're back already?"

Luigi shrugged, but was happy to know that his brother was able "to be right back." Once Princess Peach stormed in, she ran up to the castle doors and let herself in, leaving everyone else to stare at her in silence. Rosalina walked in and closed the gates behind her. Luigi walked up to her, confused. "Where's…"

She sighed and ducked her head. "There truly is no easy way to say this…"

Luigi stepped back. What did she mean?

Rosalina walked into the castle and drew all of the Toads' attention to her. The castle was quiet and her voice echoed through the marble halls. "I'm afraid that an era has come to a close. The kingdom has lost something dear and it is not easy to accept this, but…I have seen the truth and I will relay this message to you: On behalf of his passing, I will do anything I can to protect the kingdom, but my powers will not last. I am deeply sorry for your loss."

Servant Toads began to whisper.

"Behalf of who's passing?"

"_His_ passing!"

"Who is _he_?"

"I think it's…Mario."

"Wait! WHAT?!"

"We can't have _a girl_ watching over us!"

"Mario…died?"

"HOLY SHIT!"

"The world is gonna end!"

"How are we going to live?!"

"We won't!"

"_A girl_ watching over us? Seriously?"

"Hot damn!"

"NOOOOOO! I NEVER GAVE HIM HIS BIRTHDAY PRESENT!"

"He's seriously…dead?"

"Who can replace him?"

"No one can." Peach stepped into the middle of the foyer and ducked her head as well. The other conversations subsided.

"Actually," Toad stepped forward, "There is someone."

"Who?" Daisy was on the brink of tears, but she held it in.

Toad pointed a shaky finger at Luigi. Everyone soon stared at him. He stepped back, his eyes glazed with tears. "Excuse me?"

"He's the only one who has the blood of him and he's been around Mario since birth. If he gets the right training, he could in fact be the next Mario."

Luigi shook his head. "I could never! I'm nothing like him! Nothing!" He ran out of the castle and past the gates to another part of the kingdom. Daisy tried to stop him, but Rosalina slammed the doors shut. She looked at Daisy and telepathically spoke to her. _Let him go_, she said, _He knows what he's doing._

* * *

Digging in a rage, Luigi threw the dirt up in the air and dug his way down to a large black box. He had buried this a while ago behind the brothers' house. He had promised that he would burn the clothes inside, but he didn't have the will power to do it. Putting it in a box and burying it seemed like a fine thing to do at the time. Luigi could only think about digging the clothes up and working in the dark of the night. The moon was making its ascent into the dark sky. He hit the box's lid and tossed the shovel away. Bending down, he opened the box and surveyed its contents.

He sighed with both anger and relief. He picked up the mask and put it on, making his eyes seem white with mystery, but all he could see was red.

After a few moments, he stepped out of the house and slipped into the night. The moon shined on the knife he was holding. In a blind rage, Luigi never thought, he just did what came to mind. This is what came to mind first and what he was determined to do. Picking up his pace, he was nothing but a shadow, running towards the Dark Lands.

* * *

**I didn't mean to make Kamek and Kamella curse so much. I hope you don't mind.**

**Chapter 3, everyone! So, we have plenty of information now.**

**What will Luigi do with that mask on his face? Why does he have a knife? Why is he behind you?**

**JUST KIDDING! HA! I TOTALLY GOT YOU!**

**I didn't...? Aww. *okay face***

**Well, everyone's favorite plumber is kicking the bucket, so it's up to Luigi to save the day! Or not. **

**Rated T for a reason people. Don't even think about reading this to a 3 year old while you're babysitting. I don't need that *BOOP*. And if you complain about the cursing and actually have an account, I'll send you a PM like: **

**Would you like some cheese with that whine? Hahahahaha...**

**GTFO OF MY STORY!**

**(I'm serious about the PM, people. I will do it and you know I will)**

**I'm not the one who clicked on the story, you did. Sorry if some mispellings are everywhere in this chapter. I sort of rushed with the proof reading. :/**

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Working in his favor**

As the flames rose up from the fire before him, Luigi wondered if what he did was truly worth it. In a blind rage, of course he had little to no idea of what he was doing, but he still tried to make sense of it. He held the black and bloody clothes. The knife he had used was beside him, but had no use for it either. It was a strange feeling that ran through him when he put on that mask for the last time. He felt as if he was immortal, invincible, but most of all, vengeful. Luigi was never one for revenge, but fate had gone too far and it deserved what was coming next. Playing the previous events in his mind once more, Luigi closed his eyes.

_He was nothing but a shadow in the darkness. The only light coming from the moon, but he quickly avoided it. He held his knife close to him and slipped into the Dark Lands._

_"You didn't find him?" A voice roared._

_"Well, he exploded. I don't think that..."_

_There was a creaking sound and a flash of black. Bowser quickly turned around, but saw nothing. As he turned back to face his servant, a man in black with white eyes stood before him, holding a sharp knife. Bowser recoiled. "What the hell do you want?"_

_The man said nothing. Bowser began to feel nervous, but tried to act calm. "Well?"_

_Still no response. Bowser walked towards the man and grabbed his arm. The man quickly drew the knife to the monster's neck. "You killed him...you killed him..."_

_"It was...a mistake!" Bowser was choking over fear. _

_"Then undo it. Now." The man hissed. _

_"I can't..." Bowser suddenly recognized the voice, "Luigi?"_

_Luigi held the blade up and threatened to slice the monster to pieces. "No!" Bowser pleaded, "Spare me, please!"_

_"Beg for mercy. Beg for life."_

_"I'm not that wimpy...jackass."_

_"BEG FOR IT OR I WILL LET YOU BURN..." Luigi put the blade closer to Bowser's neck, "and I will kill you slowly..."_

_"You don't have the guts."_

_Bowser soon regretted that and felt the blade penetrate his reptilian skin. Blood soon covered the blade and Luigi stepped back, admiring his work. All the servants surrounded him, but were too scared to fight. Luigi raised his voice so that the entire castle could hear. _

_"Let that be a warning to you! You take another life and I will destroy you all!"_

_All the servants bowed out of fear. Kamek prepared to attack him, but Kamella stopped him. "You want to die, don't you?"_

_Luigi walked out of the castle, leaving all the servants to stare at him. _

The fire popped once more. Luigi grabbed the bloody jumpsuit and tossed it in the fire. It made a soft hissing sound as he saw the cloth dissolve into the flames. He stabbed the knife into the grass and cleaned it of the blood. As the back suit turned into nothing but fabric remains, Luigi reached for the mask. He prepared to throw it into the fire, but he stopped. He brought the mask back down to his knees and he just stared at it. He would never need it again, so why keep it? Maybe he just thought it would be a charm of some sort. Of course, he held the mask firmly in his hand and stared into the fire. The night ticked on slowly, but Luigi didn't mind; he was used to being alone.

* * *

The next week brought about much misery and blandness. The kingdom strangely lost color and was now a light shade of gray. There had been no sign of Bowser, or Luigi. Daisy began to worry, but Rosalina tried to calm her down. Peach had left the girls alone for a while now, claiming that she had the flu. The girls thought she was crazy for thinking that she had the flu in the spring, but they couldn't blame her - everyone in the kingdom was a little off too.

"I think he's been doing something to himself." Daisy paced back and forth.

"He hasn't. He's fine, I assure you." Rosalina tried to see him, but her focus was scattered all over the place. She had never been so disorganized. With everything happening all at once, the cosmic queen didn't know what to think. She only kept her promise to protect the kingdom for a little while, until the cosmos would need her help again.

Peach stepped into the room with her hand on her stomach. She looked a bit pale, but she was walking perfectly fine. "I'm sorry for not being here earlier, but I had to have a little check up at the doctor's. I've had a few problems."

"We all know that your immune system isn't the best, Peach. That's fine." Daisy sighed and crossed her arms.

Rosalina spied Daisy's ring and stood up. She took Daisy's hand. "Congratulations," She whispered. Daisy simply smiled, but it quickly faded. Peach hadn't heard a thing that the girls had said, but that was fine. Daisy would tell her when the time was right and Peach was well.

After a few moments of pure silence, Daisy cleared her throat and claimed that she was going outside of the castle. Rosalina nodded and let her leave the room. Peach held her forehead with her hand and sighed heavily. "Are you well?"

"Yes...I'm fine. It's fine."

Rosalina nodded and looked outside the window. She could see Daisy's outline fading into the land ahead. The sun was the only color in the grey world, but Rosalina sadly could do nothing to change this. It was strange how the kingdom worked. Depending on how much happiness was in the kingdom, that's how bright the colors and the radiance would be, but since the loss of the kingdom's only hero, there was barely any happiness left. Keeping this in mind, Rosalina tried to draw her attention back to her friend. Peach was still sitting down on the bed in some pain, but she still looked fine. Rosalina still kept the dark secret, although she desperately wanted to tell at least someone. Sworn by secrecy, she kept her promise and never intended to break it any time soon.

* * *

Daisy noticed that Luigi wasn't in the brothers' house. She saw the remains of a fire that looked as if it had burned all night. She grew suspicious and kept walking into the town. She held the hood of her cloak over her head and tried not to seem ominous, although many other Toads took her presence as a threat. They avoided her for a while until she entered a small bar at the end of an alley way. All the inside noises subsided and everyone stared at her. One tall and slender man took a shot of what looked like heavy liquor and smiled. "You shouldn't be out here, princess. You could break in a tough town like this, like a twig, 'nd I'd hate to see that pretty face of yours be broken."

Daisy walked closer to the man, but kept her distance. "I'm just looking for someone."

"Your loser boyfriend?"

"He's not a loser." She was careful not to mention their recent engagement, since the paparazzi could be on them for the rest of the season, which would be a royal pain. "Why are you here, Wal? Drinking your problems away?"

"I wouldn't say those things if I were you." Waluigi muttered.

"Well you're not, so get over it. You gotta stop bashing on Luigi. He hasn't done anything bad to you."

"Yes he has..."

Daisy tilted her head in confusion. According to Luigi, he hasn't done a single thing to hurt or offend Waluigi in any way, so why would he say such things? "What do you mean?"

Waluigi turned sharply around and grabbed Daisy's hand, pulling her closer to him. She tried to push him back, but he kept her close. "He stole you away from me."

The Toads around them did nothing to prevent this from happening since they were all dangerously intoxicated. Waluigi moved his hand from her shoulder slowly down to her hips. She prepared to strike him in the face, but he was suddenly pulled back. Luigi pushed him back against the counter. "Don't touch her, pervert."

"Or else what? You'll scream like a girl?" Waluigi pushed him back. "I'm drunk and I can fight better than you! What a fuckin' loser!" The Toads began to snicker and laugh.

Luigi clenched his fist and prepared to punch his counterpart, but Daisy grabbed his arm and stopped him. Waluigi laughed. "So now you're going to let your girlfriend fight for you?"

"We're not fighting." Luigi glared at him.

Waluigi broke a bottle on the counter and aimed it at Luigi. "Not fighting, eh? Well, I know you want to beat me up. Go ahead, asshole. Give it your best shot."

Luigi pushed the bottle down. "I don't want to fight you."

"Fuckin' pussy." Everyone in the bar laughed. Daisy urged them to leave and Luigi quickly left with their arms linked together.

"Don't let him get to you, sweetie." She pulled her hood up.

"Don't worry about it." He said solemnly.

Once they reached the outside of town, Daisy stopped him. "Luigi,"

He looked at her, but was still serious. "Yes?"

"I love you." Before he could honestly respond, she hugged him, wrapping him in her arms and digging her face in his chest. "I know I don't say it too much, but when I do, I mean it...more than anything."

He embraced her and began to smile. "I...I love you too."

After a few moments, Daisy stepped back and looked him in the eyes. "We can't stay here, though. The media and everything...they'll be right on top of us. I know that everything is such a rush right now, but I think that you should stay with me. My dad doesn't know yet and I'm sure that he'll be fine with us, but I think that it would be better...for the both of us."

Luigi breathed inwardly and pushed a few strands of her hair back. "I don't know...You know I'd love to, but..."

"Please Luigi. There's nothing left for you here. I'm leaving next week...just think about it." She kissed him quickly and then headed back towards the castle.

He sighed. There _was_ nothing left for him here and the king wasn't aware of his daughter's engagement, so maybe things would work in his favor. Just maybe...

* * *

**A story where things work out in Luigi's favor? Written by me? Psssh. You have to be taking some kind of pills to think that would happen. Again, I love Luigi, but I always write stories where he's brought down. Weird...**

**Being Chapter 4 and all, we are no where NEAR the end of this story, so sit back, grab a snack, and wait for about 20 more updates cause this is going to be one wild ride. Good luck.**

**I wasn't originally intending to have so much cursing in this story. I mean, I knew I would have some, but not THIS. Oh well, I might have to change the rating on this thing now. I might...but I'm too lazy to do it right now! Plus, when it comes to the really adult-like stuff, I'm just going to not describe too much, so that it can still be a teen rated fic. So the death of Bowser wasn't explained too much and a few other gritty parts probably won't be either. I'm sorry if I displeased you...**

**With that being said and done, try your hand at guessing what will come next! Will Luigi move in with Daisy in her kingdom to avoid being the next hero or will he stay in the kingdom and go from zero to hero? Who knows? *cough cough* I do. *cough***

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - A moment of awkward silence **

The kingdom was indeed holding up well, but the color, the happiness, the safety...all of that was gone. Rosalina did her best as a protector of the kingdom, but it didn't last. The cosmos needed her once again. Lubba had called in saying that someone was trying to mess with the dimensions again. Rosalina took the news slowly and relayed the message to her friends.

"You're leaving...now?" Peach asked in a weak tone. Her illness hadn't healed and Daisy began to worry.

"I'm afraid that I have to, princess. The cosmos is in need of my help and I promised that I would watch over the kingdom until I needed to return. My work here is done." Rosalina made her way outside of the castle gates with the other two princesses following her.

"But who's going to watch us...protect us?" Daisy asked.

Rosalina stopped and Daisy stopped beside her. Peach was a few steps behind them but made her way towards the two. Rosalina faced Daisy. "Luigi will. It is his job now."

"He even said he can't do it!" Daisy sighed, "How can he make sure that everything goes back to normal?"

"He is the only one who has the hero's blood. It is in his instinct and he will do as his brother once did..."

"Then why isn't he doing it now?!" Daisy rudely interjected.

"...He will do it, when the time is right." Rosalina finished calmly. "I would have more faith in him, Daisy. He is your only hope."

Daisy did not reply and instead let out a long sigh. She looked over at Peach. She was still pale and had gone to see the doctor this morning again. Daisy couldn't help but wonder what was really wrong.

"I will leave by noon. I have one final thing to do." Rosalina left the girls in silence and faded away.

Peach took a deep breath and tried to balance herself. "You're leaving next week, aren't you?"

Daisy nodded, not in the mood to talk. _Have faith in him, Daisy. _What did Rosalina know about faith? Daisy had tons of faith in Luigi. So much faith that it would be the size of Peach's castle. Rosalina didn't know what she was talking about, the old witch.

"If you would be so kind as to...bring me to my room. I need a glass of water."

Daisy nodded and walked over to her friend. Putting her arm around her shoulders, Peach trudged beside her.

* * *

With Rosalina's protection weakening around the kingdom, the criminals began to come out of the shadows, with nothing to fear. Innocent Toad people barred their doors and windows and kept away from alleys. The town was the first place hit with all the chaos. Nothing big had happened yet, but crimes were rising and plans were being hatched. Luigi stayed far away from the town since everyone knew that he was supposed to be the next hero. They all shook their heads, growled, and glared at him. He simply kept walking, but he felt their angry stares burn through him.

Nearing the edge of town and the tip of a cliff, Luigi rested there. He looked down and remembered when he almost fell down to the rocky waters bellow. Mario had grabbed his shirt and pulled him back just in time, even though they were extremely mad at each other for some reason that Luigi couldn't remember. Maybe they had fought about who was better, but that was beside the point. Luigi knew that Mario did care for his brother, even if they were telling each other to "rot in hell" at the moment.

Luigi suddenly felt a presence. He jumped and turned around. Rosalina signaled for him to calm down as she stepped closer to him. "I mean no harm."

"I know." He turned back around to look at the vast nothingness ahead of him.

"Then why did you get startled by my presence?"

He shrugged. "Reflex...I guess."

"I'm afraid that I have to leave by noon," Rosalina stated, getting straight to the point; "The cosmos is in need of my help once again."

Luigi sighed. "That's fine, just...just leave your magic here. It'll keep the kingdom in..."

"I cannot do that, Luigi." She interjected.

Luigi gave her a confused look, closing his mouth without finishing his last sentence. He shook his head, "W-why not?"

"It is my magic and I need it just as much as your people do."

"M-my p-p-people? What are you..."

"The citizens of the kingdom are your people just as much as they were for your brother. They are depending on you, Luigi. They expect much from you."

He glanced down. "They expect me to fail and that's exactly what I'll do. I'm not cut out for the hero business."

"Practice." He looked up as she spoke, "You must hone in your many unknown talents. You are a hero at heart, Luigi, but denying it will bring you nowhere." She stepped closer to him. "You know that well."

He stared out at the vast nothingness again and digested her words slowly. After a few moments, he faced her. "What do I have to do?"

"You must start small and work your way into the people's hearts, as your brother once did. I know of a place that is in desperate need of help." Before Luigi could ask, Rosalina pointed her wand to a small cavern between an alleyway. Luigi had been to the cavern before and he did know that it was an ideal place for criminals to reside, but he had never fought before. He turned back to Rosalina, but she had faded with the wind. He faced the cavern once again.

If he showed his face in there, everyone would pounce on him and tackle him to the ground, knowing he was weak. Luigi sighed and put his hands in his pockets. He felt a folded mask sit peacefully inside. He pulled it out, unfolding it carefully. The criminals would easily beat up Luigi, but would they possibly beat up a masked defender? A servant of the shadows? Would they dare beat up...The Green Thunder?

* * *

"WE'LL TAKE 'EM JEWELS FROM DA CASTLE AND SELL 'EM FOR MILLIONS! WE'LL BE RICH, PARD! RICH!" An intoxicated Toad slammed his fist on the counter and took a shot.

"YEAH!" Another shouted.

"BOO-YAH!"

"MILLIONS!?"

"MILLIONS!"

"But we can't just barge in there," Waluigi drummed his fingers on the counter, "It's too risky."

"Risky how?" Wario questioned. "Mario's dead. D-E-A-D! Luigi's a fuckin' wimp...what do we got to lose?"

"YEAH!" The Toads cheered.

"Alright, alright, you drunk retards. I guess we can plan a heist in the middle of the night." Waluigi gave them a sly grin.

The criminal Toads cheered once again.

"Steal in the shadows?" A voice cooed, "Ha. That's when they expect you to steal."

Everyone turned to find the voice. A man was sitting down in the back of the bar, drinking...wine. Not vodka, not whisky, not beer or ale...just wine. The criminals hadn't even seen wine in the bar, but this signified that the man was upper-class and suave. The man's face was vaguely covered by a mask that only covered his eyes and forehead, but the rest of his body was covered by a cloak.

"What did you say, punk?" Wario growled. "Tryin' to defy our plans?"

"No, you fat lump. I'm just saying that the castle guards are wide awake by then," He took a sip of wine, and paused; "The day, however, that is the perfect time to strike."

Waluigi stormed over to him. "What did you call my brother?"

The masked man looked at him. "A fat lump."

"WHAT?"

"A...fat...lump. If I were to say it any slower, it would take the rest of the day. I don't have that time." The man lifted his glass to his mouth, but Waluigi slapped it down.

"I bet you got somethin' to say to me too, smartass. Say it and we'll see where that goes." Waluigi leaned over to him, the strong smell of alcohol lingering over his breath.

The man did not respond at first. Waluigi began to smile victoriously, but then the man's hand folded around his neck. Waluigi tried to claw him away, but the man had an iron grip. He tossed Waluigi to the floor. He hacked and wheezed for air as he was doubled over on the floor.

Wario shot up and the criminals glared at the man. He had taken it too far. The man remained seated, even though the criminals began to surround him.

* * *

With a feverish groan, Princess Peach returned to her quarters for the night. Her head throbbed and her body ached, accompanied by the overwhelming sense of nausea that had followed her for weeks...now months. It had been a pain, but she learned that she would need to deal with it.

"Peach," Daisy walked into the room with her head down. After watching Peach go through an odd mood swing of happiness to suddenly pain, she had decided to tell her some good news to feel better. "I've been wanting to tell you something."

Peach groaned in response. She held her hand to her head. Daisy covered her left hand and sat down next to the princess. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no...I...I simply...I simply have trouble standing. I'm just a bit dizzy."

"Do you want another glass of water?"

"No, no."

"Sure?"

"Y-yes."

Daisy twisted the ring on her finger, contemplating whether or not she should speak. Peach coughed once again. "W-what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Daisy looked at her and smiled. "Now, I know this is a little crazy and so sudden, but...Peach?"

Peach stood up, excused herself, and trudged over to the bathroom in a hurry. She closed the door and groaned once again. "Peach? What's the matter with you? You've been like this for weeks. How long can the flu last?"

Peach did not respond and instead, the princess threw up. Daisy stepped back, holding her left hand tighter. Once the room grew quiet, the sink turned on. Peach washed her face and turned the sink off. The door unlocked and Peach stepped out, looking pale, tired, and in pain. She almost fell into her friend's arms. Daisy held her up and looked her in the eye. "Tell me what's wrong." She demanded.

Peach hesitated, swallowing her spit. She swore she would never tell until it was time, but she could trust Daisy. With a slow moan, Peach returned the gaze and muttered the words:

"I'm pregnant."

Daisy's jaw dropped and she set Peach back down by the bed. Peach began to cry out of guilt and pain. Daisy sat down next to her, trying to think of something to say, but only one thing came to mind.

"Holy shit..."

Holy shit indeed.

* * *

**I had to quickly proof read this, so sorry if there are any misspellings. **

**HOLY PLOT TWIST! DUN DUN DUUNNN!**

***whisper*I have to wrap this chapter up quickly...so, I'll see you in the next chapter. I uh...I have school work to do. UGH, SCHOOL. **

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and I will see YOU...in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – It's all 3 months in the past**

Peach did not speak for a few minutes, leaving Daisy stunned that her friend hadn't told her earlier. Once the silence became almost eerie, Peach spoke. "I may as well tell you the story…so you can at least get a better understanding."And so, Peach let the story unfold. Daisy remained speechless throughout her explanation, but she listened and understood. Peach started back exactly 3 months ago.

"_Bending the law?"_

_Peach nodded. Rosalina was shocked by Peach's sudden determination in bending the royal law. It had always been on the princess' mind, but she never did anything this drastic. The royal law was simply, and I quote:_

"_Royalty must behold royalty and no other. Should a princess be born, then she shall marry a prince. Should a prince be born, then he with a princess. The royal duties are that of only royalty, thus only royalty can perform them. On the lower scale, there is to be no royal to marry a commoner. Should this happen, then it will result in the immediate impeachment of the prince or princess and the royalty shall go to the royal advisor. However, if this commoner has such a record for destruction or causing chaos in the kingdom, or any other, this will result in immediate death by beheading."_

_To simplify, the royal law advises that no royalty can marry a commoner. It has been the law for decades and while being king and queen, Peach's parents never changed it, although they had the power to do so. Peach could easily break the law, but she would need approval from royalty in The Mushroom Kingdom in order to get married. Since Toadsworth was the only other technical royalty, he was able to approve of the princess' marriage, but he supported the royal law. He would deny their love, even if it meant the world. However, there was one possibility…bending the royal law. _

_Bending the law was far different from breaking it. It was performed once many years ago in a different kingdom. A princess was in love with a commoner, a simple messenger boy. One night, they came up with the plan to bend the law in order to get married. Soon, the princess was expecting and one month before she was due, the kingdom found out. The royal advisors and the king and queen were outraged by their daughter's foolish actions, but there was nothing they could do to stop it. The commoner and the princess were soon wed after the baby was born since the royals thought that the commoner should have the privilege to take care of the baby. He was not granted royal powers, but he lived in the castle and the princess became a queen. They bent the law and that was exactly what Peach intended to do. _

"_But," Rosalina broke Peach's train of thought, "That will require planning and effort and frankly, tasks that you can bare to do. It's much too extreme for you to handle."_

_Utterly disgusted in how Rosalina described Peach as somewhat a weak person, Peach responded in a mocking tone. "It doesn't matter, dearest."_

"_How so?"_

"_Because I've already done it."_

_Rosalina stepped back and gasped. "Princess…you don't mean…"_

"_Why of course I mean," Peach stood proudly, "I'm expecting in 8 months." Obviously proud with herself, the princess did not need to say anything else. The law would soon abide to her and meet with her wishes. _

_Rosalina's tone suddenly turned from confusion to anger. "You cannot be expecting now!"_

_The princess did not reply, but kept the smug look on her face. "Do you know the consequences of your actions?" Rosalina suggested icily. _

"_Yes," She finally responded, "And I am fine with it all. Mario will be by my side and that is all that matters."_

"_I understand that, princess. I am talking about reality."_

_Peach looked back at Rosalina and her smile faded. _

"_I am talking about the child. It is not a mere toy made of plastic and buttons, it is a live thing. A human being, with personality, emotions, senses. You aren't ready for such a responsibility. You are bending the law for the sake of bending it."_

"_For a good reason!" Peach exclaimed._

"_Good reason? Princess Toadstool, have you ever thought about where this could possibly lead?"_

"_I have."_

"_And you are fine with raising a child?"_

_Peach hesitated. She wasn't sure if she truly was. "Y-yes…yes I am."_

_Rosalina breathed inwardly. "Then you must prove your worth. You must show me that you can care for a child or I am afraid that I will have to tell the kingdom of your unknown heir."_

_Peach walked closer to the jewel. "Oh no, please don't! The kingdom will despise me for this and Toadsworth will have Mario's head! I couldn't let that happen."_

_"Then prove to me that you can handle such responsibilities. Keep your word and I shall keep mine." And with such a firm statement, Rosalina's image faded away. Peach was left in silence to consider the possibilities. To tell the truth, she did not know much of what she was getting herself into, but she acted as if she did. Then again, she wasn't a great actor either. _

_Rosalina set up trials in the kingdom for the next two months. She assigned certain events to happen just when the princess was around. She caused a few events that would make the princess have to show the children that she could be mother-like. Peach had to show the little Toad children, that had been set up by the cosmic queen, that she was able to be loving, empathetic, patient, humorous, creative, and courageous when it was needed. To Rosalina's surprise, Peach passed the trials in flying colors, although Rosalina did have little faith in the princess to begin with. She returned to the kingdom quickly one night, startling the princess. _

_"I admit that I have had my doubts with you in the past, Princess Toadstool." Rosalina sighed, "But I suppose I cannot argue with such results."_

_"Then...then you know?" Mario stepped back. _

_Rosalina nodded. The moon shone brightly on her and only her. The hill was away from the castle, but the castle was still visible from there. She rested the top of her wand on her palm. _

_"But I thought that you said not to tell anyone." He argued. _

_"I did," Peach replied, "But Rosalina was bound to find out somehow and we are able to trust her."_

_"I won't speak a word of this secret." Rosalina insisted. _

_"It means the world to us." _

_"I...understand." Rosalina gently nodded once more and began to fade away. The night was still from there on out, but there was a sense of distress in the air. _

_Peach felt her stomach stiffen as Mario let go of her hand. "I need to do something. I'll be right back." He kissed her briskly on the lips and left the princess alone by the hill. Wherever Mario was going was unknown to her, but that did not matter. The law would finally bend and Peach intended to keep it broken once she was queen. _

"We three kept a promise," Peach explained after finishing the story, "We all swore not to tell until one month remained."

Daisy remained speechless. Peach inhaled.

"But as you can see...fate had a different path for us."

After hearing the never-ending tick of the grandfather clock for a good fifteen minutes, Peach spoke once again, but in a much more serious tone. "And I expect the same from you, Daisy. You mustn't tell a soul. Not your father, not Toadsworth, not the villagers, no one."

Daisy nodded slowly. She looked down at her cupped hands, staring aimlessly at her fingers. "I...I just can't believe it...I never would've guessed...well, I might've but, geeze." She looked back at Peach, "You could've told me."

Peach shook her head. "It was too risky at the time. I figured that the more months that passed, the more confident I could feel about telling someone. Even though you are my closest friend, I couldn't afford the penalty."

Daisy sighed, knowing the penalty well, being a royal herself - death.

"I do trust you, Daisy; never lose sight of that. I simply thought that this could have been too much for you to contain. Nonetheless, you cannot tell a single person about this."

She nodded once again, trying to smile.

"Now..." Peach tried effortlessly to change the dramatic subject, "I'd love to know where you got that ring from."

The friends smiled at one another, sharing a small giggle. Daisy admired her ring once more and began to tell the story behind it.

* * *

Returning back to the bar in the middle of town, the masked man remained seated, although the thugs and criminals began to close in on him (remind you, this is taking place just as Peach is telling the story behind her pregnancy).

"Alright boys," Wario snapped his fingers, "Sick 'em."

The criminals broke bottles on tables, smashed small glasses that once held liquor, growled like dogs after a thief in the house, and cracked their knuckles all to get some sort of reaction out of the man.

However, the man did not move.

They made more threating moves...

But to no avail.

Possibly another growl?

Nothing.

"MAN, THIS IS BORING!" One shouted.

The other hicks agreed.

The man's hand suddenly lit up with green electricity. The criminals took a step back, all except for one which chose to tease the others. "YOU GUYS SUCK!" He had his back turned to the man, "THIS GUY AIN'T GOT NOTHIN' FOR HIM! HE'S A DEAD MAN, MAN!"

The criminal Toad suddenly jolted and was covered in green electricity. He fell to the floor seconds later and squirmed around in shock. The man leaned over him. "Hmm..." He reached into the criminal's pocket. "_There's_ my watch." He put it on. "Damn robbers."

The criminals stared at the man with both fear and anger. Finally a hammer bro. thug spoke out. "THIS IS NO GAME, INFIDEL! IF YOU WON'T GO," He slammed his hammer on a table, "WE MAKE YOU GO!"

The hicks around him agreed once more.

The hammer bro. stepped forward and aimed his fist at the man. The man quickly dodged out-of-the-way, crouching below. He punched the enemy squarely in the stomach, making the hammer bro. bend down in pain, clutching his stomach. The man kicked him in the face, pushing him back into another table behind him. The hammer bro. landed on the edge of the table, making it collapse. Another hammer bro. stormed over to the man by his right side. The man grabbed the enemy's head and bashed it on the table. The enemy fell into the chair, unconscious.

Two Toad thugs looked at each other. "Well, that wasn't very nice." One hissed.

"I'm afraid we can't let that pass." The other sorely agreed.

The two then took a shot and swallowed hard. They jumped on top of the tables and ran over to the man. They leaped for his neck, but he electrified them both. They landed to the floor with a hard thump. "Is that all you got?" The man grinned.

The criminals all began to attack the man, occasionally attacking themselves.

"OW!"

"FUCK, SORRY STEVE!"

"YAOW! MY TOOTH!"

"I SWEAR I DIDN'T HIT YOU, DAWG!"

"I THINK I GOT HIM!"

"THAT'S_ MY_ LEG, ASSHOLE!"

"WHOOPS! SORRY."

"I SEE BLOOD!"

"THAT'S MEEEE!"

"BLEED BITCH, BLLLLLEEEEEEEDDDDD!"

"YOU HIT ME AGAIN!"

"I'M SORRY, MAN!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"AH! MY CORNEA!"

"YEAH, FUCK YOUR NARNIA!"

"MY LEG!"

"MY ASS!"

"I HIT YOU BACK!"

"YOU ASS-WIPE!"

"AGGGGGGHHHHH!"

"I LOST A FINGER!"

"I LOST MY CONTACTS!"

"SOMEBODY SMASHED A BOTTLE ON MY HEAD!"

"SERVES YOU RIGHT! YOU FUCKED MY WIFE LAST NIGHT!"

"I WISH I DID!"

"STOP RUBBING MY CHEST!"

"HEEEELLLLLOOOOO EVERYBODY! I MADE CUPCAKES!"

"WHO THE HELL HAS MY BALLS?"

"I'M...I'M PROTECTING THEM...FROM SPIRITS."

The masked man stood to the side, laughing at the criminals as they gradually beat themselves up under all that rage. Soon, they were all unconscious and the ones who remained standing were electrified by the man.

A loud clapping was heard.

The man turned and was punched in the face by a huge fist. He stepped back, keeping his face down. Wario then proceeded to kick the man in the groin, but the man grabbed Wario's leg and twisted it to the side. Wario shouted in pain and the man stood up. His identity was still well-protected. He then trudged over to Wario clumsily and pushed him back hard enough to hit a large mirror behind him. Wario's head hit the back board, but he got up quickly, as if he wasn't phased. The man was held up by the shirt, too weak to defend himself. Wario tossed him back to the bottles of alcohol. The man grunted, hitting the shelf and making the bottles rattle. As Wario crouched down for the final blow, the man grabbed two whisky bottles behind him and smashed them both on Wario's head. He fell back to the glass covered floor, now unconscious.

The man stood up weakly. He took a few breaths and looked around the room. His blood was still racing and his heart beat fast with the sudden rush of adrenaline. Sirens were heard outside, car doors were slammed closed and police radios blared. The man couldn't stay here. He looked around for another way out.

"EVERYBODY, HANDS UP 'N' FREEZE!"

As the police stomped in, they held their firearms in position, ready to shoot. They caught a glimpse of the area in the bar and put their weapons down. "Damn..."

Everyone was unconscious on the floor, but not dead. No one was around for the police to suspect. "Who did this?" A junior investigator asked.

"I don't have no damn clue, junior. Who do you think who'd done it?"

There was no one standing in the room and the junior took that into consideration. "Maybe someone who doesn't want to be seen." He suggested.

The chief police turned sharply around. "Do you see the damn Bat Signal in the sky?"

The junior shook his head.

"Then we got no reason to believe that this perp is some daisy-pickin' superhero, a'rite?"

The junior sighed and turned back to his comrades. "Okay fellas, let's get some evidence, clues, whatever and see if we can get a lead."

"Hey!" An officer called.

"Yeah?" The chief turned around.

"Aren't these the same guys that we've been looking for?" He held up the limp arms of Wario and Waluigi.

"Yeah...It took us years just to track 'em down."

The officer cuffed them. "Well, we got them now."

* * *

"I should've burned you..." Luigi shook his head and held the mask firmly in his hand. He knew that the very clothes that he had gotten at Castle Bleck were what truly changed him. That was the reason why he had changed his clothes while there. Luigi kept them for some strange reason, but he never put them on, knowing that they would turn him into a violent monster that only has one goal...To kill. The mask had little power over Luigi's actions, but he was still able to act like a completely different person. It was strange how clothes could damage a person's life in so many ways.

_Start out small and work your way into people's hearts. _Rosalina's words rang in Luigi's mind once again. He didn't consider himself a hero at all, no matter how many criminals he knocked out.

"Sweetie?" Daisy's voice mused.

"Yes, darling?" Luigi snapped back to reality in an instant.

"I was wondering if you were coming with me...back home."

He sighed, looking out one of the castle's balconies. He suddenly wasn't too sure if he did want to go. At first, he was ready to leave as soon as possible, but now, he thought back to what Rosalina explained. These were his people now. They were his responsibility and damn, did it feel good to fight.

"Luigi?"

He jumped. "Oh, yeah...I...I think I..."

She took him gently by the shoulders and kissed him. "It's okay," She whispered, "We have three more days to think about it." She kissed him again, but he backed away. "What happened there?" She hovered her fingers over a cut over his eyebrow.

"N-nothing. Just tripped over something."

Daisy giggled. "You need to be more careful."

"Y-yeah..."

He stared back out into the night sky peppered with white stars. He didn't have the heart to tell her about what was going on, but if she only knew, then she would possibly understand.

* * *

**AGH MAN, that was crazy.**

**The beginning wasn't fun for me to write. Why? Because in the bar fight scene, I got to watch a bunch of action movies to get the inspiration! AWWWW-YEAAH! I didn't get to do that in the beginning of this chapter. **

**It was fun, though. I liked watching the movies again. **

**The Bat Signal joke was impossible to pass-up. I'm sorry, I just had to. My humor is stale, but it's still... stale. I just needed the pop-culture thing in there or else I would have dried up. **

**I don't know where I was going with this chapter. Nothing major happens here, but then again, we get some back story on Mr. L and Peach's preggors story. I came up with a side-theory that the clothes somehow affected Luigi's ways of thinking, but that was only because I watched an old movie called "The Mirror Mask" which was underrated in my opinion. But then again, who gives a *BOOP* about my opinion, right? **

**But I still stick to my original theory of Mr. L being a figure of Luigi's insanity, but also a human being at the same time. **

**Ah, writing the royal law. I tried to sound so upper-class there, but in the end, I sounded like an idiot. Heh. I am an idiot. **

**Anyhoo, that was chapter 6, and even though it was one of those "explain the background" chapters, that's another key to pacing myself with this story. I hope like the story so far, even though it's dirty and has plenty of cursing. But cursing is like Pringles: ONCE YOU POP, YOU CAN'T STOP! (I just heard that in a Nostalgia Critic episode, I have no idea if that's the actual motto, or an old one)**

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - Define "content"**

Luigi was never one to fight. He always remained quiet and still, restless in the corner. Was it strange? Yes. Did he question why the lords dare to allow Daisy to see something inside him that no one else saw? Every chance he got. Did he even consider the thought of training in his brother's footsteps? Never.

Then why start now?

It was truly impossible to answer that question without looking back on how much Luigi despised his brother's fame at times. Yes, he had gotten used to being the sidekick, but it was irritating to walk into town with everyone watching you - expecting you to fall flat on your face before them. It was time for a change and anger is what caused this to be so. Luigi always became violent when he was angry. The brothers were born with that puzzling factor. When they became angry, they fought and wouldn't dare to stop until the opponent was begging for mercy, or death. The brothers would gladly give mercy at a pitiful price and death, well, that was self-explanatory. Irritated, mind-controlled, or pissed off to the point of no return, the brothers would fight well.

Mario honed in his fighting skills while Luigi remained sheepish. This was why Mario let Luigi stay away from battles and such. When the time came for Luigi to battle, he would try, but almost never succeed. Because of this, the green plumber was looked down on and seen only as a pedestal for the all-around loved hero in red. Luigi was an extra. A flaw. Unneeded. Worthless.

And the list would continue.

But this time, oh this time, he had the kingdom in his palm. The world was slowly regaining color and Luigi did this all, masked. The kingdom wondered who this new defender was, while Luigi had all the laughter hiding from them. At times, he felt as if this wasn't the right thing to do. He felt that he should just admit who he was and that he did have the blood of Mario inside him, but this was temporary. He would always return to that feeling of doing right and wrong.

Daisy, too, remained unaware of Luigi's secret identity and Luigi was almost certain that Daisy didn't want to marry a lying superhero. He kept his secret to himself, vowing not to tell until their wedding day. Little did Luigi know that Daisy had a secret of her own as well.

The secret, however, was eating Daisy alive. She knew she had a loud mouth and couldn't keep it shut half the time, but just when she needed to shut up, she couldn't. After all, this was a bit sudden. A new baby? Mario's baby? IN THE CASTLE?! AGH! It was killing her gradually and figuratively. Daisy wasn't allowed to tell anyone, though. She couldn't even tell Luigi and she told Luigi everything. He was such a great listener. But, she needed to be quiet and keep the secret locked. _This was a treat._

The couple now barely spoke to each other. Daisy barely spoke to Luigi, since she knew that the secret would fly out of her mouth at any moment in time. Luigi took her silence kindly and simply thought this was because she wanted to be a little more silent, just for him. Luigi barely spoke to Daisy, since he was afraid that his secret would fly out at any moment in time, too. Daisy took his silence as a way of mourning for his brother, even though Rosalina had ordered everyone to move on. A lot was on his mind now and Daisy dare not interfere. And so, the silent couple remained this way until three days had passed.

Luigi had accomplished much in the three days. This showed through the vibrant colors that now sparkled in parts of the kingdom. It was a miracle, some said. Luigi, however, took the praise lightly and didn't let it get to his head. A few criminals were all that resided in the kingdom now and Luigi took this as a chance to leave the kingdom. Everyone was starting to crowd around him, asking desperately why he wasn't taking a stand for them. He never replied and kept walking away. Finally, he would have a new start.

"I'm going to miss you!" Peach wrapped her arms around Daisy and Daisy kindly embraced her.

"Me too! I'm coming back, though."

Peach backed away and smirked, "You better."

Daisy walked over to Luigi and smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded, his expression straight. _Don't look so down_, Daisy mouthed. "I don't understand why you two can't get married here." Peach sighed, a tear forming in her eye.

"It's the whole royal law policy that your kingdom has." Daisy explained, "Daddy got rid of that law years ago, since mom was a servant at first. And I have my kingdom too, Peachy."

"It was rhetorical, Daisy." Peach gave glare at first, but then smiled. "Have fun, you crazy kids."

They both said their final farewells as the train arrived. The two settled themselves down in the train car and soon rode off to the golden desert miles ahead. Peach watched until the faint outline of the train left her view.

* * *

"DADDY?"

No response.

"DADDY!"

Nothing.

"DADDY, DADDY, DDDDAAAAADDDDDYYYYYYY!"

Daisy sighed. Her father was here, but he was either hiding or sleeping. It was the afternoon in Sarasaland and mid-morning in The Mushroom Kingdom. The king couldn't have been sleeping now. "Let me get him. Just stay here." Daisy hurried up the marble staircase to retrieve her father. Luigi did as he was told and stood his ground. The main halls were covered with abstract paintings. The floor was covered by a neat red and golden rug. A few nightstands were placed here and there with a few decorations carefully placed on top. Luigi had never been here many times and he knew that he would soon have to get used to the strange feel of a different castle.

"WHAT?"

"Now, Daddy, don't lose your head."

"WITHOUT TELLING ME?"

"It was a rush. I couldn't tell him to hold on."

"PRINCESS DAISY SARASA!"

"Daddy…"

"DON'T _DADDY_ ME! I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED TO TELL ME THAT YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!"

"I told you about him last summer."

"NO YOU…Did you?"

"He's Mario's brother."

"…OOOOOOOOHHHHH. That one. Yes, yes, I'm sure he's been well."

"Erm… 'Well' isn't really the right word."

"Why not?"

"He…His brother…uhh…he's sorta an only child right now."

"Ouch. How has he been?"

"Uh, well, he's pretty okay."

"Oh well, it's time to look ahead, I suppose. You two are getting married! I never thought I would live to see the day."

"DADDY!"

Daisy and her father walked down the staircase. The king smiled and walked over to Luigi. "YOU BRILLIANT BOY!" He hugged him tightly, and then let him down. Daisy stepped forward towards him. "I could kiss you! I won't - I'll leave that to my – ha! You two will be wed at once! Yes, yes. And you will be happy and prosperous, and then, my boy, you will be KING!"

"K-King?"

"Why yes! A fine, upstanding youth, such as you is exactly what this kingdom needs!"

Luigi managed a small smile, but on the inside, he was concerned for some reason he couldn't understand.

* * *

"Chef, do we have any pickles?" Peach walked into the kitchen.

"Pickles? Your highness, you ordered to have all pickles destroyed in the kingdom since they were 'icky'." The chef responded.

Peach sighed. "UGH. I HATE MY LIFE! EVERYTHING SUCKS!" She stormed out of the kitchen.

The chef returned to the cookbook. The kitchen doors swung open again. Peach opened a cupboard door. She grabbed ten bags of chips and closed the door. She smiled at the chef and left the kitchen. The chef stared at the doors with a bewildered expression. Toadsworth soon walked through the doors in an intolerable huff.

"I'm not sure if she's been feeling well." Toadsworth finally said.

"Who?" The chef returned his glaze to the cookbook.

"The princess!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Who else?"

"My wife." The chef sighed, "She's pregnant."

"Well congratulations," Toadsworth hesitated, "She must be…content?"

"Oh, she's content alright," The chef flipped a page, "If you count barfing, mood swings, awkward cravings, tiredness, and nausea every 5 minutes, 'content'."

Toadsworth froze. "C-could you please, repeat that…please?"

"You know," He looked at the royal advisor, "Throwing chunks every few hours, mood swings, craving fish on a stick at one in the morning - that kind of stuff."

"No…that can't possibly be." Toadsworth mumbled. He looked at the chef with a serious stare, "What are the last few things that the princess has ordered you to make?"

The chef pondered this for a moment. "You mean this hour, or all day today?"

"All day."

"_Ay dios mio_. Uhh, this morning she asked for a vanilla sundae, with a slice of cake in the middle and the entire can of whip cream on the top. Then she wanted some ketchup on bread, nothing else. And then she wanted some kind of cookie with candy, fish and beans in it. And just now she came in asking for _pickles._"

"Pickles?!"

"_PICKLES!_" The chef rested his hand on his forehead, "If I have to make another crazy meal, I'm out of here."

"T-thank you." Toadsworth hurried out of the kitchen and headed towards the princess' room.

* * *

***Ay dios mio = (Spanish) Oh my god**

**OOOOHHH! Toadsworth is onto somethin'! WATCH OUT PEACHY!**

**Again, I cannot come up with riviting dialogue so I used a Disney quote somewhere in there. Bonus points to whoever can spot it and tell me the actual scene and movie I "stole" that from. **

**PICKLES!**

**Ugh, you see? This is what happens when I stay up and write. My mind goes all wanky. **

**Well, good news: Luigi and Daisy are getting married (and getting it _on_) *gets punched in the arm* THIS IS A T RATED FIC, PICK-IT! YOU CAN'T HAVE S-E-X IN IIIIIITTTTT! KLSNCFLSDKNVDKJCVBAWKB**

**Like it? Hate it? You tell me!**

**I HATE IT YOU *BOOP*ING IDIOT! **

**Okay, YouTube commenter. That's my hater side's new name. The YouTube commenter. She'll pretty much say something that a poorly written comment would say. **

**LOL, YA RITE! I IS SMART AS A FLY, WHY? CUZ I'M FLY LIKE A FLY! I GOT MY SWAGGER ON MEH, BEEEEEEYYYYYTTTTTTCCHHHHH!**

**Mmmmmhhhhmmmm. Well then, that's all for now. **

**DO THE *BOOP*ING OUTRO, PICK-IT! NOAGH!**

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything and I will see YOU...in the next update!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Alternate Plans and Certain Scams**

Returning to the Dark Lands, a few days after the masked attack, everyone was actually taking things pretty well. Yes, they were now in need of a master and someone to boss them around, but they looked on the bright side of things – now they don't have someone to boss them around. Kamek and Kamella, however, were taking things into their own reptilian hands. They were getting ready to resurrect Bowser, as they have done numerous times before, but they came to a problem.

"What are you saying?" Kamek hissed.

The minion doctor, who was nothing more than a Hammer Bro. in a white coat, stood tall and looked proud. "Well, Bowser here is in quite the predicament."

"How so?" Kamella drummed her fingers on the bright orb placed on top of her golden scepter.

"Well, you see, there is no easy way to say this, but…Bowser, he is dead."

Kamella slammed her palm on her forehead in a rude manner while Kamek nodded, pretending to ponder this sentence. "Hmm…that explains WHY HE HASN'T BEEN MOVING!" Kamek sighed, shaking his head. "We already knew that, Doc. Just tell us why we can't bring him back."

"Oh…" The Hammer Bro. laughed nervously and looked away. "Uhh, well," He faced them again, "You know that tall lady with the wand?"

"Yes…?"

"She's apparently associated with magic and voodoo and all that witchcraft stuff. She put some kind of curse or something on the castle and well, our magic has been slowed down. It'll take weeks to bring Bowser back from beyond the beyond."

"Weeks?" Kamek whined, "But I want to destroy The Mushroom Kingdom NOOOOOWWWW!"

Kamella scoffed, "Plan B it is."

"And what is Plan B, Kam?"

Kamella smiled, striding over to grand doors yards away from them. "Well, dear Kamek, unlike you and your last-minute plans to kidnap the princess; I planned ahead and came up with a grand _new_ plan to destroy the kingdom and the masked man within its boundaries!"

She opened the doors, "Behold! PLAN B!"

As the grand doors opened to her command, Kamek stared in awe and amazement at what his partner had done. The room was filled with minions all organized and ready to strike. They all had weapons, armor, and defenses beyond compare. Kamella stressed the very elegant fact that all the minions were in fact robots. She admitted that she could have made clones, but clones were "overrated."

"Wow, Kam," Kamek brushed his fingers over the metal plate of one of the robot's skulls, "You really out did yourself here." He chuckled.

Kamella arched a brow in frustration, "Are you laughing at my work?"

He shook his head sheepishly. "No, no…It's just that this is so…strange. It's amazing and for a minute, I actually thought you were better than me."

"I am."

He glared at her, "Even if you were, I was Bowser's favorite. He let me have battles and everything."

Kamella stuck her tongue out at him, putting her hands on her hips like a toddler.

Looking out from the balcony of the castle, Kamek and Kamella brought all the minions' attention to them. Kamek slammed his scepter on the hard ground, bringing a literal wave of silence over them.

"Now," He boomed, "I know that we're all expecting Bowser to make a huge return and fight the kingdom again, but we have been put under a curse!" He made sure he sounded dramatic, "A spell!" He leaned in closer to the rim of the balcony, "A…"

"Sorcery," Kamella aided.

"A SORCERY!" Kamek shouted, not thanking Kamella for the help.

The minions all nodded in unison, although they had no idea what was going on and no idea what these big words meant.

"Are we going to take this lying down?! NO! Are we going to stand up and fight?! YES! ARE. YOU. WITH. ME?!"

Silence was heard first, and then accompanied by a single cough.

"I said: ARE. YOU. WITH. ME?!"

It was at this moment where Kamek realized that he wasn't the greatest motivational speaker. The minions remained silent, except for that one that had coughed, for he had coughed again. He claimed he had a cold, although some said that it was spring and the air in the Dark Lands was hot all year long. He shrugged, claiming that he had allergies. It was now obvious that all of Bowser's minions were awful liars.

Kamek sighed and turned back to Kamella. "They're hopeless – all of them."

Kamella stepped forward, "IF YOU DON'T FIGHT WITH US, ALL YOUR JOBS WILL BE SOLD TO ROBOTS…THAT WORK FOR FREE!"

The minions gasped at the very thought of not paying their bills, since the Dark Lands was also infamous for its high prices on real estate.

"YA!" The minions cheered, suddenly on-board with the attack plan.

Kamella smirked, giving a boasting look at Kamek. He raised his nose in the air, as if he didn't care, but deep down, he knew that Kamella was better than him.

"Get all the minions in the training room," Kamella ordered the Kooplings.

They saluted, all in their own nasty ways, and left to round up all the minions.

"Magi-koopas!" Kamella shouted.

All the magi-koopas halted to her command.

"Set all the robots to stand-by and wait for my orders!"

They all nodded, leaving to their posts.

"KAMEK!"

Kamek walked in, glumly, and looked at his partner.

"Go…go resurrect Bowser. I don't care if it'll take 3 weeks or 3 years, just get things back in order."

He sighed and nodded, trudging away slowly.

"Oh and Kamek," Kamella called.

He turned around, expecting her to shower him with praise and thanks.

She smiled coldly, "Get me a latte while you're at it."

He opened his mouth to refuse, but he kept his thoughts to himself, turning back around and walking over to the kitchen.

* * *

Rosalina's eyes closed as she breathed in carefully. Polari, Rosalina's advisor in most cases, hovered beside her.

"Even with a warning, in the form of a spell, they prepare to attack with other defenses." Rosalina sat down quietly, thinking, and watched aimlessly as Polari tried his best to console her.

"Now, now, mistress." Polari's blue eyes sparkled as he tapped the orb that Rosalina had used to watch over The Mushroom Kingdom, "You can contact the princess and she will handle this. I'm sure of it."

"No," Rosalina declined kindly, "She has enough on her plate as it is."

"Then…who?"

Rosalina looked up at the orb that was now shifting colors. She slowly stood up, walking gracefully towards the orb. "Polari, is it possible for me to contact through something other than the jewel?"

Polari nodded, soon asking why she wanted to know this.

"I need to contact someone in Sarasaland quickly. He is the only one who could stop this before it begins."

Waving her wand over the orb quickly, Rosalina tried to focus her power into a mirror in a room at the Sarasaland palace. It was hard at first, since the jewel had direct contact, but she was able to bring her power to the mirror in due time.

Luigi sighed, walking down the hallway of the palace. It had been a long week of organizing, stress, and Daisy's constant shouting at people, claiming they were doing everything wrong and that they were going to "screw up" her special day. Although he did want the day to be perfect, Luigi could really care less.

Walking past the guest room, Luigi saw a white flash illuminate from the vanity's mirror. He stopped, only seeing the flash out of the corner of his eye. Once curiosity got the best of him, he walked deeper into the room. Reaching the mirror, he leaned in closer, until his nose was touching the glass. It flashed once again; startling the man and making him step back. "Whoa…"

"Luigi."

He turned around, thinking that Daisy was calling his name. Looking outside the hall and around the room, he saw no sign of anyone and turned back around towards the mirror. He was now greeted with Rosalina's translucent image. He jumped back, "You scared me!"

Aware that the conversation that she was about to have was private, Rosalina closed the guest room's door swiftly, "My apologies, Luigi, but the kingdom is in grave danger."

"Last time I checked, Sarasaland was doing just fine."

"No, _your_ kingdom."

He shook his head, "Oh no. I'm not going to do this anymore. Listen, it was fun the first few times, but I'm done with it. I can't handle jumping around and saving the princess countless times."

"It isn't about the princess; it is about doing what's right."

"I can't." He crossed his arms over his chest with a sigh.

"Why not?"

"Rosalina, I'm getting married in two days. I'm going to be dubbed royalty the next hour after that. I have my own life to lead, and I can't live two lives at once."

"Luigi…"

"You'll just have to find someone else."

Rosalina glanced down, sighing. "I believe that isn't possible."

"And why not?"

She looked up at him again, "Because you are the only person who can fight for the kingdom as of right now. You have protected the kingdom before, for three days, but this is your chance to protect the kingdom from all the evil in the Dark Lands."

"The whole kingdom will be in the chapel at exactly 5 o'clock in two days from now. If I'm a no-show, then I'm out of here – for good."

Silence began to spread through the room as Rosalina considered her words. Finally, and quickly, the silence was broken by her voice. "Two days, huh?"

"Yeah."

She nodded surely, "Then you will have two days to think about it."

Luigi stepped closer, "What?"

"Luigi, I know how much it means for you to finally live a life of your own and such, but the kingdom is in danger."

"…If you care about the kingdom so much, then, then why don't you go, go save it yourself!"

"I have duty here in the cosmos. I cannot stay there for long, and that's what the kingdom needs – a long-time hero."

"But I can't be that! Mario knew I couldn't be that, Peach knew I couldn't be that, everyone in the kingdom knew I couldn't be that," He lowered his voice, "And you and I both know that Daisy doesn't have that much faith in me either."

"Then prove them wrong. Make them eat their words."

Luigi sighed, looking down. "It isn't that simple."

"Then why is it whenever you wear that mask, you suddenly have all the power in the world?"

He raised his voice, "Because I know that I'm not myself! I know that the person wearing that mask is probably more capable of being the next hero than I ever will be."

Rosalina laughed dryly, "You do realize that the person wearing that mask is you, right?"

"Of course I do," His voice lowered, almost to a whisper.

"…You just don't accept it, do you?"

Luigi showed no sign of a response and Rosalina kept the steady silence for a few prolonged minutes. It was at this time that Daisy walked by, for she had been searching desperately for the wedding curtain measurements for hours. Convinced that the measurements were in one of the guest rooms, she climbed up the staircase in a rush to the second floor of the palace. After going through room after room; drawer after drawer; tossing back pillow after pillow, she finally reached the last guest room. Hearing Luigi's voice and another female's voice respond to him, Daisy hid herself close by, but made sure she was out of sight. Since the door was closed and the female's voice sounded as if it were distant, Daisy could not tell who the woman was, but she was ready to pound her deep into the ground. Daisy kept close to the door, leaning up against its wooden frame.

"Luigi, you have two days to think about this." The female's voice cooed, ever so softly.

"But…" Luigi began, "I don't know. It's just so…difficult. I don't want to do this."

"You must. It's better for everyone if you do."

"I can't just leave Daisy like that, and not on our wedding day."

"Although I know that it may be hard on her at first, she'll understand."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Fine…I'll…I'll see what I can do."

And with that, the conversation ended. Daisy stood back, wide-eyed and shocked. She couldn't hold it back any longer and she barged into the room.

Luigi jumped back, startled. "Daisy! I…I didn't know you were, were here."

"Uh-huh." Daisy didn't bother to speak to him and instead searched around the entire room for a trace of the woman she had just heard.

"What are you looking for, honey?"

"…Measurements," She hesitated, "Yeah…measurements."

"For what?"

She mumbled, "For lying-no-good…CURTIANS!" She smiled, "For curtains, darling!"

"Oh," Luigi reached into his pocket and took out a square-shaped paper, "Why didn't you say so? Here," He handed her the paper and she took it greedily.

"AHA!" She started pulling at the edges as if it were going to open like a package. "Come on….open!"

Luigi arched an eyebrow, "Are you…trying to open paper?"

"This isn't paper!" She tugged at it once more, "This is a…" It ripped in half. "…Oh." She laughed nervously, "It's…it's paper."

"Yeah…it is."

She laughed, placing the two halves on top of each other. "Well then, I'll see you in a bit. I have to pick out some stuff for the wedding."

As she walked out of the room, Luigi couldn't help but notice that Daisy had been acting strangely. Even with the organizers, the wedding plans, setting up the dusty chapel that hadn't been used in quite some time, Daisy had acted perfectly fine until now. Putting two and two together, Luigi noted that Daisy had stepped in seconds after Rosalina had ended the conversation.

Coincidence?

He thought not.

* * *

"Luigi," Daisy leaned on his room's door frame, "I need to talk to you."

Looking at the clock ticking away, Luigi realized that it was reaching the midnight hour. He looked out the window, observing the dark night skies. He turned back to the stationary he was sitting at, "Uhh…" He turned back around to face his fiancé, "Yeah?"

She walked into the room, closing the door just a bit. Plotting herself tiredly on the bed, she slouched, resting her chin on her palm. "Is there something that you want to tell me?"

His heart skipped a beat and then paced itself lightly, "N-no. Why would you think that?" His voice faded as he spoke.

"I…Well," She scoffed, "You've been pretty vague lately and you don't act as if you want to get involved in our wedding at all. Emphasis on _our_ wedding."

"Oh," He sighed almost in relief, "If you wanted me to get involved more, then you could have just told me. It's just that…"

"What?" She cocked her head.

"Well, you're all royals and I just feel like I don't fit in."

"Oh please," She giggled, "It's fine. Now," She flipped a little book of color samples open, "Egg-shell or chalk?"

He tilted his head, "Aren't they both white?"

"Well, basically, but chalk has a more dusty look to it, while egg-shell is more solid."

"Chalk."

"Egg-shell it is."

Luigi shook his head and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Daisy snapped.

"You don't want my opinion on things."

"I do! I do want your opinion on things!" He continued laughing, "Fine!" She walked over to him and set the book down on the desk, "For the flowers, which are going to be on every table and be put perfectly in nice little vases, which kind should I use?"

"Ever thought of daisies?"

She rolled her eyes, "Ha-ha, very funny. It's too cliché."

"Cliché?"

"Yeah, I want something bright, but also peaceful. Maybe roses…no, too radiant. Tulips? No, too weird. Uh…what do you think about lavender?"

He shrugged. "You're not going to go with the daisies?"

"Too cliché, sweetie, too cliché." She drummed her fingers on the desk, "Can you go fetch me the family album? I'll steal my mom's flower ideas."

Luigi stood up, nodding, and walked out the room. Daisy watched him walk down the hallway until he reached the stairs. She quickly closed the door and flashed her eyes around the room. She began her frantic search for any trace of the mystery girl. Although she believed that men should admit their wrong doings, her patience was driving low and if Luigi wasn't going to pipe-up then, she was going to butt-in now.

Pulling item after item; shirt after shirt; opening drawer after drawer, Daisy realized it was all for nothing. There was nothing of interest in the room, or, at least, nothing that had to do with the mystery girl. After sighing loudly once more, Daisy opened the last drawer next to the stationary Luigi sat quietly at. She opened it carefully, but knew that there was probably nothing but old papers, writing tools, and…a mask?

"What the…?"

Daisy carefully picked up the black mask by one of its edges. Bringing it towards the light, she saw two eye holes. She examined it carefully, looking for any sign of ownership, but there was nothing. She wondered why Luigi would have it and what would he use it for exactly.

She looked into the mirror – obvious curiosity filling her face. Placing it in her two hands, Daisy looked up at the mirror once more. Her hands were slowly lifting the mask to her face. As the light fabric of the mask touched her cheeks, Luigi opened the door. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't stop. Daisy thought of this as a way to say _I know what you did_.

Reaching her hands behind her head, she slowly tied the mask securely. Then, the strangest thing happened. Her eyes turned a dark white color and her pigment was suddenly turning pale.

* * *

**Happy day after Valentine's Day! (AMORE! MWHA!)**

**Did I purposely try to get romantic in this chapter? Nope! **

**WHY NOT, PICK-IT?! **

**Because, if you must know, I've come down with a bad cold. I'm sneezing left and right and my computer crashed. That's my excuse, so be happy I have a credible one.**

**WHY WOULD YOU GET SICK? IT'S TOTALLY, LIKE, HOT OVA HURR! **

**Well, I live by the east coast of 'Murica and it's COLD OVA HURR! But, I tried my best with this chapter. Did it pay off? **

***Grumpy Cat* NO**

**...Okay *cough* killjoy *cough***

**YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM SUCKZ!**

**Eh, at least it works. **

**PICK-IT'S Did you know? MOMENT: Did you know that a bride wears white at her wedding as a sign of purity? Yes, the color white is a sign of purity and even virginity (OOOOOOO, PICK-IT JUST USED VIRGINITY IN A T-RATED FIC! Grow up, people). As _Zimbo_ puts it in their wedding article: "_The color white has long been a symbol of happiness, purity, and yes, even virginity." _**

**Now, I know that brides now wear different colors and the color is now losing its meaning, but I just get a little skeptical when the bride wears anything but white. It's what I grew up with and I'm not saying not to try new things, but I still think that it's a little odd when the bride strides in with a blue dress for her wedding. *shrugs* Say what you want, but that's just me...and the facts.**

**DEBATE TIME: **

**What do you think is harder? Coming up with a perfect and orginal idea or having the perfect way to distribute it to the world?**

**A friend and I had a little talk about this earlier in the week and we couldn't come up with something. I personally think it's hard to find the perfect way to distribute it, but you may think otherwise. We'll see.**

**Click my profile for more stories by me! Leave a comment, review, favorite, follow, PM me if you want to know anything, and, as always, I will see YOU...in the next update! BYE-BYE!**


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